Organizations Books

Lead On is both strategic and practical. The author (a distinguished Naval officer) does a masterful job of breathing life into leadership principles, presented within the context of submarine operations. It is both entertaining and purposeful.

I'm a recently retired Army Colonel. Believe it or not, the best book I've ever read on leadership was written by a Navy Admiral...hard to believe but true! I dogeared and highlighted the heck out of this book. I recommend it to anyone who's looking to read a good leadership book. Oliver masterfully describes the traits of essential leadership by applying his navy lessons learned in life as a submariner. And they're all lessons we can learn in the business world. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed!

The author has managed to take his experiences in the Navy and derive the leadership that each step required. There are tough decisions and development of insight. Also important is his dealings with adverse subordinates and other topics that seem easier to ignore.

A pleasure to read, give it to any person entering the military, or getting ready to grow up.

I agree with the other reviewers. This is one of the best leadership books I have seen (alongside Dandridge Malone's "Small Unit Leadership"). Insightful and very well written, you will return to it again and again. I am just now ordering my second copy!

I have read a dozen or more books on leadership and attended five courses on the subject (best course: Marine Corps NCO Leadership School). I learned more from this short, simple and direct guide than all the others combined.

Do not be misled by the military orientation of this book. Aside from the fact that a life in the Navy presents more physical dangers than your average CPA firm, the lessons are readily transferable to civilian life (I did not spend a career in the military).

I read this book a month ago and three circumstances corresponding to the book have presented themselves.

I wish I could have read this book when I was 20. I would have been a better manager, a better leader and a better person

There are several outstanding books on the general subject of Six Sigma and Eckes has written two of the best. Previously in The Six Sigma Revolution, he examined major corporations such as Motorola and GE in which Six Sigma programs really did create revolutions which continue as I compose this review. These are properly acclaimed successes. Of course, little (if any) attention has as yet been devoted to those organizations which initiated and then later abandoned Six Sigma programs. The reasons for doing so vary, of course, but most can be classified within two categories of resistance to change: cultural and technical. As O'Toole brilliantly explains in Leading Change, it is a formidable task to overcome what he characterizes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." In this volume, Eckes suggests all manner of strategies and tactics by which to overcome resistance and then sustain Six Sigma programs, once launched. Correctly, he stresses the importance to an organization of achieving a "balance" between its culture and its technology. Moreover, at a time when change is (literally) the only constant and occurring at an ever-increasing velocity, its is also a formidable challenge to maintain the proper balance of the two. For many years, I believed that most people fear change. I no longer believe that. Rather, I have become convinced that most people fear the unfamiliar. Hence the importance of constant and effective communication between and among everyone involved. Eckes suggests that this book will show his reader how to "Create the need for Six Sigma" but, in fact, the need probably exists already so there is a need to help everyone recognize that need and appreciate the importance of responding to it. Therefore, Eckes also shows his reader how to "Shape a vision of Six Sigma so that employees understand the desired results and new behaviors of a Six Sigma organization." Also, he shows the reader how to "Mobilize commitment to Six Sigma and overcome resistance" which is inevitable. Only then can any organization change its systems and structures "to support the new Six Sigma culture." Next: "Measure Six Sigma cultural acceptance" and "Develop Six Sigma leadership." All of these components are absolutely essential, difficult to integrate, and even more difficult to sustain in appropriate balance. In this volume, Eckes explains how and he does so with precision and eloquence.

In recent years, I have become more involved in Six Sigma or process improvement programs which vary somewhat in terms of their design and scope but all of which encountered several of the "pitfalls" which Eckes discusses in Chapter 8:

1. Feeling obligated to achieve quick success

2. Clogging up agendas with competing distractions

3. Having unrealistic time frames

4. Ignoring previous quality efforts

5. Conducting poor Six Sigma cultural planning and follow-through

6. Delegating (i.e. dumping) cultural development or seeing it as a one-time event

7. Not having appropriate cultural goals or objectives

8. Not allowing for unexpected interruptions

9. Allowing false or cosmetic positive readings to suggest authentic cultural transformation has been achieved

10. Underestimating resource allocation

Of course, whether or not involved with Six Sigma initiatives, any organization can experience some or even all of these "pitfalls." In this book, Eckes offers sound, street-smart advice on how to avoid them. Time and again, he places great emphasis on the importance of cultural values by which everyone involved in a Six Sigma can be guided and, when under duress, sustained. Herb Kelleher has this in mind whenever he explains what Southwest Airlines competitive advantage is: "Maintaining excellent customer service involves a process of getting people to understand the importance of it to them in their daily lives as well as in others'. We were a little concerned as we go bigger that maybe some of our early culture might be lost so we set up a culture committee whose only purpose is to keep the Southwest Airlines culture alive. Before people knew how to make fire, there was a fire watcher. Cave dwellers may have found a tree hit by lightning and brought fire back to the cave. Somebody had to make sure it kept going because if it went out, there would be serious problems. That cave dweller was the most important person in the tribe. I said to our culture committee, `You are our fire watchers, who make sure the fire does not go out. I think you are the most important committee at Southwest Airlines.' I really do believe that to be the case." This is precisely what Eckes means by "culture" in this book. For everyone in any organization already embarked on a Six Sigma program or now considering one, this is a "must read."

Think about it. Seriously think about it. What was the downfall of your quality endeavor? Your performance improvement plan? Your Six Sigma initiative? Was the wrong strategy used or was it the wrong tactical approach? Mostly likely it was neither your strategy nor your tactical approach. The failure was most likely do to people. Most likely your people hadn't really bought in. Buy-in from your people is necessary for an initiative such as Six Sigma to be successful. The people in your organization create your organizations' culture. How do you get cultural buy-in? How can you sustain that buy-in?

In the book Making Six Sigma Last, the author, George Eckes shows us how. Through heart-felt stories, humorous personal examples, and real business illustrations the author takes us through the process needed to create and sustain a culture that supports Six Sigma.

First we learn about Q x A = E. This powerful formula shows us that: "Q" Quality, the technical and strategic elements of a Six Sigma initiative, times "A" Cultural Acceptance, of the technical and strategic elements of Six Sigma, determines "E" the success of the Six Sigma process. Then, the author addresses resistance. We are reminded that it's a natural process for people to resist change. Eckes describes four types of resistance and offers specific strategies for overcoming each. The next chapters show how to sell it and then manage it. Now it's time to ask did it work? Did you get the cultural buy-in you were attempting? How do you know? In Making Six Sigma Last, Eckes offers a model that is used to measure the cultural acceptance within the organization or as Eckes says, "how well Six Sigma has been baked into the organization". Five case studies are used to illustrate these concepts. Then through profiles of leadership, the author shares real business examples of what worked, what didn't and why. Finally we learn how to sustain the culture that will support Six Sigma initiatives with the chapter on pitfalls: 10 things to avoid.

Making Six Sigma Last is an informative and easy read. It's effective and efficient, hallmarks of Six Sigma. The book leaves you inspired and hopeful that this stuff really can work. Don't start without it!

What I enjoyed most about this book was the applied "psychology of business" in other words, how to get people (organizations)to do what you want them to do and like it!

The book gives you answers to the "what if" questions that anyone trying to succeed in changing their corporate culture has. The examples and the personal tone of the book make it a fast, informative and easy read.

No one knows Six Sigma, which seeks near perfect customer satisfaction, like George Eckes, the consultant who literally wrote the book on it (The Six Sigma Revolution: How General Electric and Others Turned Process into Profits). In his second book, Eckes emphasizes the importance of molding organizational culture to generate broad acceptance of a Six Sigma initiative, using illustrative examples from his workshops. He describes ways to overcome internal resistance to change, to sell the program's benefits and to get key people as well as the masses on board. If you are launching a Six Sigma program, Eckes provides many specific suggestions of strategies you can employ. But because much of Eckes' wisdom can be applied more generally to organizational change efforts, we [...] recommend this insightful book to any executive, whether or not Six Sigma is your strategy of choice.

The new book: Making Six Sigma Last, by Mr. George Eckes, is the the most comprehensive and excellent road map to reach corporate cultural excellence.

The previous book by Mr. Eckes: The Six Sigma Revolution, successfully teaches us the way to implement the tactical component of Six Sigma: process management excellence.

The current book is the only book to date that offers a complete process to achieve the key strategic component of Six Sigma: corporate cultural excellence.

Mr. Eckes has again produced an enjoyable, very enlightening and important Six Sigma book that is easy to read and comprehend.

It is perfect for corporate executives, managers, employees, consultants, quality practitioners, and students of best business practice.

Thank you for the opportunity to express my high regard for the outstanding book: Making Six Sigma Last.

Regards,
Marc St.James
November 24, 2001

I teach courses on software metrics and do some research on software-related measurement. As Austin points out in his book, many of the well-known advocates of metrics in the software community are blind to the issues that he raises, or they dismiss the issues as social science hooey that won't affect serious engineering. They are so, so wrong. This is a useful, readable book, that teaches hard lessons.

This is an excellent book on performance measurement. Very short, simple and easy to follow. The concept of critical dimensions and its effect on dysfunctional measurement it's well worth the read. By the way, one may also want to check the famous paper "On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B" by Steven Kerr.

This book is filled with both humorous and chilling examples of measurement dysfunction that make the sometimes academic approach quite palatable. Dr. Austin identifies three different types of performance measurement based on the intent of the measurement - measurement for motivation, process improvement, or process coordination. It is measurement for motivation that causes the dysfunction that this book so convincingly describes.

For example, if we record the fact that 10 widgets are produced on machine A and we are comparing this against the 10 widget benchmark for bonuses, it is very likely that other perspectives like quality will suffer in the drive to make the 10 widget goal. Austin makes the point that the discovery that every time our overall performance is excellent we have produced 10 widgets does not imply that producing 10 widgets will guarantee excellent overall performance.

If we record the fact that 10 widgets are produced on machine A while only eight widgets are produced in the same time using competing technology on machine B, this is measurement for process improvement and can be very useful - provided it is limited in scope and used purely for the stated purpose.

If we record the fact that 10 widgets are produced on machine A and convey this information to the widget packaging department to ensure that enough widget cases are ready, this is measurement for process coordination, and is also potentially useful on its own.

The idea that the intent or goal of the measurement is of paramount importance is one important lesson from this book.

Austin does make some recommendations about developing effective performance measurement systems.

Understanding the costs involved with "perfect" measurements is part of the solution. Substituting a cheaper approximation for a key measurement is bound to cause problems - witness the measurement of nitrogen instead of protein in wheat gluten used in pet food. The incorrect justification for cheaper approaches is a thread surfaces in other areas - reusing financial figures as a proxy for management accounting leads to flawed descision-making emphasizing short term financial gain - reuse of software components leads to products that are hard to use.

One effective technique is using the end customer as the ultimate judge of quality and performance - the kind of approach described 10 years later in Fred Reichheld's The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth

Managing engineers is very challenging; measuring their performance is even harder. This book offers a fantastic review of leading research on the subject and establishes a strong case for delegatory techniques. It's a quick read but much more academically rigorous than similar management guides.

A principal of a company once told me that the primary job of a manager is to get the employee to do what the manager wants him to do. From there to effective management in real life comes a lot of confusion.

Robert Austin sorts it all out with a suprisingly simple model, and a strong does of honesty. Managers and workers -- participants in the serious game of work in organzations -- put aside illusions and read this book. And anyone who thought they were helping by designing a measurement program, pay attention too.

Measurement and management can work, but only if you know what you're doing.

With this book, Marquardt has created the most exciting and practical model for executive development I have ever seen. Warren Bennis recently asked, poignantly, "Is there a future for leadership?" Marquardt is leading all management educators into the future of leadership. As director of an executive Master's program at American University, I am astonished at how powerful Marquardt's model is for developing "leaderly learners," in the magical phrase coined by Peter Vaill. Action learning is perfect for leaders who want to learn and learners who want to lead. Marquardt's chapter on the role of "action learning coach" is, by itself, worth a shelf of books of leadership. My executive participants are raving about how action learning has transformed their individual mindsets, allowing them to surface take-for-granted assumptions, as well as helped them begin to transform the culture or collective mindsets of their organizations.

Optimizing The Power Of Action Learning: Solving Problems And Building Leaders In Real Time by educator and consultant Michael J. Marquardt (Professor of HRD and Program Director of Overseas Programs, The George Washington University), is a "user friendly" guidebook to an effective learning technique for facing increasingly intimidating and complex organizational challenges, especially with regard to global business concerns. Impressing the power of "action learning" to respond to the need to create new products, improve service quality, and transform organizational cultures, Optimizing The Power Of Action Learning is a confidently recommended success guide complete with a well-thought-out process for introducing and sustaining action learning among groups to the reader's particular and maximum advantage.

Michael J. Marquardt has developed a problem-solving tool. His process, which can be adapted by organizations of any size not only provides solutions but also builds leaders and teams.

Marquardt, a professor of HRD and Program Direction of Overseas Programs at The George Washington University, is an expert in action learning. His process has six components.

1. A problem - It must be significant and urgent.
2. A group - The ideal group has between 4 and 8 diverse members.
3. Questions - Initially, team members are restricted to questions. This reflective inquiry period develops a thorough understanding of the problem.
4. Action - The group is authorized to implement their solution.
5. Learning - A commitment to the process is as important as the solution.
6. A coach - Someone is needed to keep the group focused.

A key step is "action." Learning is meaningful only if some type of action is taken. Action generally involves four steps:

1. Understand and Redefine the Problem. This is often the most important step.
2. Articulate a Goal.
3. Develop and Test Strategies.
4. Take Action and Reflect on the Results.

Marquardt includes a 12 step plan to introduce action learning to your organization. Properly implemented, it will accomplish three goals for your organization:

1. It will provide solutions to problems.
2. Develop leaders.
3. Build a problem-solving culture.

People with an intense interest in knowing all the details of action learning will find the answer to their prayers in this book. Author Michael J. Marquardt writes with the zeal of a revival tent preacher, filled with the sincere belief that action learning can help solve any problem, meet any challenge or achieve any aspiration. As he clearly explains, action learning is intended to build both knowledge and leadership. He sets out the steps your organization should pursue to implement action learning, and to use it well. He includes questions, checklists and extensive examples. All he omits are any caveats or cautions about this approach. He's a booster and an expert, just so you know where he's coming from. We recommend his manual to human resource professionals.

It is desirable but not imperative to have read Michael Marquardt's earlier work, Action Learning in Action, before reading this one. He defines action learning as "both a process and a powerful program that involves a small group of people solving real problems while at the same time focusing on what they are learning and how their learning can benefit each group member and the organization as a whole." The benefits of action learning include shared learning through all levels and areas of an organization, greater self-awareness and self-confidence for all involved because of their new insights and feedback interaction, improvement of their ability to ask better questions and to be more reflective, and improved communication and collaboration enterprise-wide.

How do task forces and quality circles differ from action learning groups? First, [they] tend to focus on the specific problem of task to be addressed rather than on identifying the organization wide, environmental, systemic elements in which the problem resides, and which also be affected if lasting change is to take place...Second, [task forces and quality circles] generally do not have the power or the expectation of taking action...Third [they] are charged with addressing a problem or improving a product or procedure; any learning that occurs is incidental." Marquardt suggests that action learning programs are built around six interactive components: a problem, the group, the questioning and reflection process, the commitment to taking action, the commitment to learning, and the facilitator. It is important to add, a "commitment to action" includes both identifying a given problem's causes and correcting it, and, then ensuring that the problem does occur again.

In this volume, Marquardt develops in much greater depth many of the core concepts introduced in his earlier book, Action Learning in Action, but focuses much greater attention on how to solve problems and build leaders in real time with next-generation tools and techniques to make action learning successful each and every time, in any organization. Those who have not read his earlier book will appreciate his review of the six critical components: the problem; group diversity (e.g. cross-functional teams); action strategies; individual, team, and organizational learning; the all-important involvement of a well-trained action learning coach; and step-by-step procedures for introducing, implementing, and sustaining action learning. In turn, many of those who have read the earlier book will also appreciate his review of the six critical components, both as a reminder and as a framework within which Marquardt refines his core concepts as well as introducing entirely new material such as the 20 best-practice examples of action learning in action. He also inserts a number of reader-friendly devices such as eight Tables and dozens of checklists which summarize key points in each of the eight chapters. These devices facilitate and accelerate review later, whenever needed to clarify the nature and extent of a reader's own specific problem or opportunity.

Of greatest interest to me is what Marquardt has to say about how to prepare for and then introduce, implement, and then sustain an effective action learning program. He suggests and then carefully explains each of twelve steps (which are listed in Table 7 on page 162) which comprise a cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective process which - with appropriate modifications, of course - can guide and inform initiatives undertaken by almost any organization, whatever its size or nature may be. Marquardt's extensive real-world experience with all manner of organizations probably explains why his approach is so pragmatic. He well realizes the barriers to be overcome, hence the importance of the various checklists he provides such as those for top management support, what should be addressed during a preparations assessment workshop, the selection of action learning projects, and measuring the impact of action learning initiatives in the given organization.

Those who share my high regard for this brilliant book are urged to check out Marquardt's subsequent work, Leading with Questions, in which he explains in even greater depth how leaders find the right solutions by knowing which questions to ask. He insists, and I wholly agree, that effective leadership of action learning programs must be provided at all levels and in all areas of operation but that such programs cannot succeed without the full support and sustained commitment of senior-management.

I recently bought this textbook as a student in an Ed.D program. The prof had each student teach a chapter at each class, which kept us all alert and engaged. Great reference, and very comprehensive.

This book did what it needed to do in my Designing Organizations class in college.

"Organization Theory and Design" is a book every corporate member that has aspirations to better understand and contribute to his organization should own.

I used this book studying a basic course of organizational behavior after the professor had referred to it as "the best text on the market". I found out he was right - the book is extremely well-written and its contribution to my understanding of the subject is invaluable.

As it happened, I partly read older versions of the book to find out how every few years Mr. Daft updates his analysis, insights and examples of the ever changing and evolving world of organizations; for instance, the past example of IBM that served as the major opening example of an organization that has gone from the top of the world to the brink of disintegration in the beginning of the 90's (and since then regained leading position in its areas of expertise), is replaced in this 8th edition with Xerox. Mr. Daft continues and presents the most recent developments in organizations' design - structures and management methods that have only emerged lately in response to the turbulences in the environments and competition worldwide.

By making the changes and improvements in every edition "Organization theory and design" wins the title of this review - "the learning book" - that mirror images the main theme of this work - "the learning organization". Almost no organization can stand still in today's reality - managers and workers have to constantly think of better ways of doing things and learn from every source that bears knowledge and can give the organization a better competitive advantage. Things have never moved so fast and threats and opportunities have never been so immense. Competitors have to be efficient and different to survive and stay on the top.

The structure of the book is designed to convey its ideas in the best possible manner: Each and every chapter opens with an example illustrating its content, then an introduction to the subject. Theory and examples from today's organizational world followa and are interwoven throughout the text in the "in practice" section. A fascinating section is "leading by design" in which Mr. Daft highlights top-of-the-line companies that have managed to materialize the theory and consequently lead their industries. Yet another remarkable feature is "bookmark" in which the autohor recommends and actually reviews the content of other books that further develop the subject the chapter dealt with. For me, the magnitude of this behavior is unprecedented; I haven't read a book that is so much interested in advancing and advertising works of fellow authors. This is a code of conduct every author can learn from in pursuing the ultimate goal - to better inform and educate his/her readers.

Some of the material the book covers include the organizational environment, organizational structures, organizational decision making processes, ethics, organization-decline and organizational politics.

As is the norm in many books, Mr. Daft integrates case studies directly connected to the content of each chapter in its end. They add all the more to the reality dimension that is so strong throughout the book.

Lastly, the price of this book is somewhat expensive but well worth the money and will certainly prove to be a wise investment. Years after its reaing and studying it may serve as a reference source when the reader will stumble across situations covered in the book and learn to appreciate even more the lessons insights Mr. daft offers.

I bought this book with the apprehension that it might not be the same one I'm looking for.But Amazon made me feel so satisfied.I got the exact book and that too new and in much lower price than the market.

This is a well-designed and comprehensive book in the area of organization theory. From introduction to the end, this book aims to teach the foundations of organization theory to readers.

There is a great awareness of new developments in the area of organization theory. The new developments such as team-based management models are integrated into the conventional wisdom wonderfully in the book. We are living in a world in which globalization and stiff competition dominates. We name this age as Information Age and corporations need new mentality and practices to adapt to challenging conditions this era brings about. This book presents some new approaches in global competition perspective to readers.

A Look Inside, Bookmark, In Practice, The New Paradigm and Case for Analysis are excellent peculiarities of the book.

Diagrams and other visual characterizations involved in the book give readers a big opportunity to digest topics recounted. Since this book is a detailed investigation of organization theory, you may miss some parts and feel confused. I can recommend another book, that is, Designing Organizations (Robey, D. and Sales, Carol A.), which is a summarized organization theory book with excellent cases.

If you want to understand organization theory with its basic foundations and details, this book is a must. You must exploit the rich knowledge of Professor Daft.

Strongly recommended.

Mindy Starns Clark never disappoints! This book only leaves you wanting more....thankfully there are 4 more books in this series. When you finish this series go for the Jo Tulip series she wrote, equally as awesome!

Callie Webber works for the J.O.S.H.U.A. Foundation, checking out charities to make sure they are practicing what they preach. If she finds them to be in good standing, she awards them with a check for their hard work. Her boss is a man named Tom, who Callie knows very little about. As she prepares to take a well earned vacation, Tom asks her to do a favor for an old friend of his and check out his charity. Callie obliges and postpones her trip, only to visit the guy and have him turn up dead minutes after she arrives. As a former PI, it's in her nature to find out who the murderer is and also as a favor to Tom. There are many suspects with many motives making this a challenge for Callie while also testing her relationship with Tom.

I had enjoyed Mindy's SmartChick series so I wanted to go back and read the rest of her books. I had heard really good things about this series, and boy I was not not disappointed. This was a top-notch mystery with a strong, hard to put down storyline. I love Callie's character, she is strong and very resourceful. She's good at noticing the tiny details which is probably why she was a PI. The reader also feels for her as she is a young widow after losing her husband only recently. Tom is a mysterious guy and if I had been in Callie's shoes I would have done some inspecting on him! The idea of the company is very cool, giving to those who deserve it but don't ask for it. I also found it very interesting about what was said about the exploiting of sponsoring children. It is true that most people do not find water irrigation very attractive to spend money on, but they will spend money to help a cute kid, so thus pictures of the kid is reused to attract people. So the people's money goes towards water irrigation but they think it's helping the kid. Is it deceiving for companies to do this, especially if they are Christian based? Why do people feel good if they help a kid, but they think it's wasteful to help an entire community? Very good stuff to think about.
Overall this was an excellent mystery story with twists I didn't see coming and likable characters making this book a great start to the series. I'm hooked.

Two things make good Christian fiction. One: a good story line. In the case of a mystery, it needs an interesting crime and a solution that is not obvious. Two: an unapologetic approach to faith. Too often Christian writers shy away from actually discussing their faith, ending in a story that vaguely mentions God and behaving in a moral manner.

I am very happy to say that The Million Dollar Mystery Series fulfills both requirements. Mindy Starns Clark crafts excellent mysteries that keep the reader guessing to the last minute. I have often thought she challenges Agatha Christie with her plot twists and hidden culprits. She also weaves stores of faith and solid Christian doctrine without sounding overly preachy.

Mindy Starns Clark premiers her "Million Dollar Series" with a winner. Just put yourself in Callie's shoes. You've been trusted to run down the backgrounds of numerous non-profit organizations to see if they're legit. You have the respect of your boss, although you've never met him. Yet now, seemingly out of the blue your boss wants you to present a check for $250,000 without doing the standard background check. This goes against the grain a bit, but hey, you never know. They guy's a friend of your boss. Still it's hard to give that money to a dead man, and even harder to get out of town when your boss insists you take an active roll in the investigation. First the means of death, then a list of suspects, and gee, she's living in the house WITH all of the suspects. Clark handles a brand new mystery with the same elegance of "Ten Little Indians" and leaves you guessing all the way. Truly remarkable work. (I only give 5 stars for extraordinary work, so a 4 star from me is like a 5 star from most other reviewers). If you're a mystery buff this book should definitely be on your shelf.

Callie Webber is looking forward to a week's rest as soon as she drops off one last check for her boss Tom. But when Wendell Smythe says that it's only a loan to Feed the Need and not a gift, Callie finds herself with an hour's paperwork to do. Returning to his office with the proper forms all filled out, she finds Wendell dead. The police quickly rule it a murder and ask Callie to stay in town as a material witness. Then Tom asks Callie to investigate. And how can she turn her boss down?

Staying with the Smythes gives Callie easy access to her prime suspects. But beneath the surface of a seemingly happy family lurks some sinister secrets. Who is leaving threatening messages for Sidra? What drove Sidra and Derek apart? What was going on at the company? And does this have anything to do with the murder?

Meanwhile, Callie is finding her own emotions hard to deal with. Being around this much sadness and death is reminding her too much of the death of her own husband. Can God help her deal with her own renewed emotions and solve the case?

The titles of this series really intrigued me, so I decided to give the first a try. It was certainly worth it. Callie was a very human character and I found myself chocking up on more then one occasion with the hurt she was going through. She's also strong and fun to hang out with. While the story started a little slow, it gained speed quickly. The twists came so fast in the final 100 pages I stayed up much later then was wise to finish. I never saw the ending coming, either.

If the rest of the series is this good, I can't wait to read it. The author has won herself a new fan.

THE SIGN OF JONAS is the journal of the Trappist monk Thomas Merton from 1946 to 1952, covering his early years at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemane through his ordination and his first couple of years as a priest. It is, essentially, a sequel to his best-selling THE SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN. The latter book is a more traditional autobiography, spanning his early life, covering his conversion experience, and culminating in his decision to enter contemplative life. What's so fascinating about Merton is that he was such a manifestly *human* human being, in the sense of having all of our weaknesses of body and mind; he was, in short, not what you'd think of as very saintly. Nonetheless, he was able to transcend those very human qualities, empty himself, and fill himself with God--and write about it in such a beautiful way that he is able to inspire and to move others to want to emulate him.

The journal entries that comprise this book vary considerably in style, tone, and content, but there are basically two types: Many of the entries, especially in the first half of the book are narrative, for instance, describing Merton's consternation over what he sees as a conflict between his writing and his need to live the contemplative life. This sense of inner discord is exacerbated by, on the one hand, his fame resulting from the publication of SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN and his desire (perhaps temptation) for the more hermit-like life of the Carthusian. His superior in religious life, the abbot, essentially orders him to (1) write and (2) forget about the Carthusians, and he is obedient to his abbot as the expression of God's will. Merton's descriptions of his monastic surroundings are lyrical and painterly. The narrative entries are furthermore peppered with good humor, both droll ("There is certainly something very touching about lambs, until they find their way into holy pictures and become unpleasant" [p. 168]") and childlike (during one of the services, he is distracted by the hunting scene depicted on the shirt of one of the postulants: "What disturbs me especially is that one of the huntsmen, on a very fat horse, is riding directly through the middle of the pack of hounds, at right angles to the apparent direction of the chase. And I say to him, `Where do you think you're going?' when my mind ought to be on the psalms" [p. 208]).

The other major type of journal entry focuses on aspects of the spiritual life. These passages are beautiful, often abstruse, and occasionally exceedingly dense. They are suitable more for meditation than for simple reading pleasure. About halfway through the book, when Merton is ordained a priest, he becomes especially consumed by his new role and enraptured by the Mass. This in part reflects a pre-Vatican II understanding of the Mass that was more personal and less community-focused. For this reader, anyway, these passages are, though initially interesting, eventually a bit trying. Fortunately, Merton grows into his priesthood, and his writing reflects this, becoming less inward and self-absorbed. At the very end of the book, in the Epilogue called `Fire Watch," he is able to successfully join narrative and spiritual writing for a final meditation.

THE SIGN OF JONAS depicts Merton at a point in his life at which his ideas and thoughts are still maturing. It is, however that may be, a stunning piece of work. For my part, I found it more moving than SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN. In fact, I think it is one of the best pieces of 20th-century Catholic spiritual literature, a book that I found both edifying and a pleasure to read.

Sign of Jonas is a marvelous interweaving of three themes. Merton's love of nature is vividly described while he also relates his own spiritual growth as he moves through the years preceding and following becoming a priest. He tells of life at the monastery in a clear and,for the most part, affectionate way. The book moves smoothly from one of these arenas to another and back again. His explanations of his spiritual experiences are so very honest.It was my first Merton book and remains my favorite. When I finish the last page I turn to the first and start again. Reading and re-reading this book is like having a close friend.

For those who have come to know and enjoy Merton's writing, this collection of edited early journal entries provides a great deal of insight into the man and why he was able to remain so committed to Trappist life in his later times of trial. Much of the smugness of some parts of The Seven Storey Mountain are already gone, and we can see him maturing in his thought and his observations.

The epilogue, titled "Fire Watch," is worth the price of the book by itself. In addition, there is a pre-figuring of his famous experience at "Fourth and Walnut" in Louisville in his account of his first trip outside the monastery, approximately seven years after he entered. By following a typical journal format, one can follow the development of his thinking. (By contrast, a later similar book, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, is not necessarily arranged chronologically, which makes it more difficult for me to follow.)

Those who enjoy Merton will treasure this book.

What a wonderful way to start my new year with this book! A Benedictine Sister kindly gave me this book on my New Year's Eve retreat with them, after she learned that I love Merton's writings. How pure Merton's faith was, and how intensely absorbing his writing!

"All my desires draw me more and more in that direction. To be little, to be nothing, to rejoice in your imperfections, to be glad that you are not worthy of attention, that you are of no account in the universe. This is the only liberation. The only way to true solitude."

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is honestly in pursuit of the true faith.

Often referred to as "The Seven Storey Mountain: Part II", the "Sign of Jonas" is a nice collection of Merton's journal entries that chronicle his life after joining the Trappists.

"The Sign of Jonas" answers the simple question: "what happened after Seven Storey Mountain?" While some have been disappointed by the difference between his most famous autobiography and this collection of journal entries, I have to step forward and disagree.

I think this is a great book that speaks to the hearts of those who know what it is to struggle with your state in life, discerning your vocation and living the Gospel message to the best of your ability with all that it brings.

Give this book a try!

Like any book in this genre this book will not actually help you unless your "motivated" to change your own behavior. It's simple, easy to read, and practical. It shows you the keys to changing your perspective on on how motivation actually works in yourself and others. I enjoyed it.

Being a cardiac rehab nurse and spending a lot of time each day trying to get people to change their lifestyles to create better health, this book caught my eye. After reading it, I found the principles instantly useful for me to use at work. They can help anyone get motivated to get past the barriers that keep them from making changes to improve their health. Additionally, the book is short and to the point which is good for a busy Mom like myself.

Along with helping to build my motivation, this little book was straight to the point and very easy to read. In this short story, the author combines his personal experience, and research to convey the importance of motivation through how ready the person is to change their daily habits for the better. The author tells about the patients he encountered during an internship opportunity and how change (no matter how big or small) helped them become motivated to do better. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels as if small change wouldn't be significant in their life. This book would dramatically change their opinion and make them want to strive for a better lifestyle. The Sixty-Second Motivator offers its readers simple steps (referred to as "secrets") to follow through with their improvement. It was enjoyable to read and very eye opening!

This is a great book for anyone to learn about how to motivate yourself or others. It's in a very simple story format without a lot of exercises like other self-help books. Very good book - I highly recommend it to anyone that needs to know more about motivation.

I read this short book within a space of an hour. It is straight to the point, and is written in the style of a story. The author is a Physical Therapist and tells the story of when he was a student and he visited a senior Physical Therapist in a hospital as part of his training. He learned how to motivate someone within 60 seconds to undertake therapy by increasing importance + confidence in the patient. Although this book was essentially about how someone was able to increase his patients' motivation, this can also be applied to other areas of your life - for any goal. It is an easily understandable read and if you are looking for a way to increase motivation quick then look no further than this book.

If you want to buy the book, go ahead, just be careful of superbookdeals, they take your money but don't deliver and don't answer emails. Caveat Emptor.

The Stock Trader's Almanac has already helped me with my trades.

What does it do?

It tells you what has happened in the Dow and Nasdaq in the passt so that you can predict with fairly good accuracy what will happen in the future. It also tells you in very plain English what the seasonal trends have been and what trends have been in pre and post presidential elections.

I would highly recommend this book.

The Stock Trader's Almanac tells you what has happened historically in the market so that you can predict with fairly good accuracy what will happen in the future.

For example: The Day after most holidays are almost always great for the market. An exception is the day after Easter which is almost always a down day in the market but the Tuesday after Easter usually surges. I read that information, checked my charts, and placed my orders accordingly. Guess what? The market performed exactly as it's historical record predicted.

This book is a wonderful source of seasonal trends and historical data. After all to ignore the past is to go blindly into the future.

I would highly recommend this book.

I've been investing and trading for 24 years and it's just been recently (in the last 5 years) that I have discovered how well it pays to be a historian when it comes stocks. The almanac is an essential tool for any serious market historian and is packed full of useful information relevant to minor to major market trends and statistics that should be in the minds of anyone who wants to make money trading stocks. This book costs you nothing. It will pay for itself.

A reasonably good reference book on historical stock market data. It was never designed to teach derivatives trading, long/short executions or day trading. It is historical reference data to be taken and used as you wish.

Mr. Twain was far too harsh on the book and makes one wonder if he has ever invested serious money ( $ 500,000.00+ ) ,in the markets whether he was long, short or day trading. Crabel and Rashke advocate short term trading, not strategic or tactical investing. The Stock Trader's Almanac is better used as an investing tool for those that like to revisit historical perspectives, I have used it on occasion myself. The book is well worth $ 13.98 especially as an educational tool for the novice.

I am a professional stock investor / trader and average a net profit income of $ 250,000.00+ yearly from a total investment of $ 750,000.00 in the markets. I go long, short, equities, commodities, etc. I still refer to the Almanac on occasion and likely will continue to do so.

I have consulted this book at least once a month since buying it. The book is full of practical insights that I have directly applied to critical projects. I have bought a copy of this book for every manager in my division. I recommend this book to anyone engaged in creating or managing change.

As the CEO of a high growth company, I have to periodically change our strategies to meet new challenges. We have a great team of people, but still it takes my team longer to adopt to the changes than I would like. I was struggling with this problem for years. I have paid lot of money to consultants, but results have not been there. I received Theory ZYX book as a gift from a friend who is also a CEO.

As I read Chapter nine, a light bulb turned on; it was as though this chapter was specifically written for my company. Now I know the root cause and the solution.

I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with change.

Using the framework of Theory ZYX my organization has been able to change the culture without disruption to our business. The total buy-in on the part of all team members to our initiative to change the culture was key. With Theory ZYX we were able to succeed at change.

A book for any manager responsible for successful change.

The guidelines in this book helped my team through our change program. We were successful beyond our hopes. My team will get the bonus. My team kept focus on the project while using the road map outlined by Mr. Arora. The benefits of Theory ZYX are wonderful.

I found this book extreemly helpful in managing our change initiates. The examples are excellent. It reads like a story with humor. This subject can get real dry, but Mr. Arora takes the horror out of reading about change management. If you have a project of any kind where you are directing more than one person this book can help you succeed. I highly recommend it.